Authors: Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Publisher: Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Total Pages: 336
Oddly enough, it was the author, not the title or subject matter that first caught my eye with this book. And, yes, it is that Bill O'Reilly (Full disclosure: I'm not a follower of Fox News or any other news network. I would have been equally intrigued had one of the authors been Wolf Blitzer or any other talking head.). Figuring I knew the basic gist of the story, I decided to see if this book was worth my time. In brief, yes, it was.
O'Reilly and Dugard begin by setting the stage in the closing days of the Civil War, tracking the movements of the two primary players who will soon meet on one fateful evening: Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth. The authors track the movements of both men, relaying their contrasting emotional states as the war draws to a close. It is these emotions that fuel Booth in his quest to first kidnap, then assassinate, the president. The events of the book do include Lincoln's murder, Booth's escape and subsequent capture, although, in comparison, events that occurred in the aftermath of the assassination did not seem to receive quite the same amount of attention as those leading up to it. That said, I will admit that, for those who are interested, these are covered in greater detail in other books.
One unique aspect of this book is that it is written largely in present tense. While I initially found this somewhat odd and a little off-putting (I am, admittedly, used to books about history being written in the past tense), the tense was not an insurmountable challenge; it just took a little getting used to.
With a story of this magnitude, it might be expected that there would be a large case of characters, including government and military participants, Booth's conspirators, and ordinary citizens. While the list of individuals borders on overwhelming, I found it surprisingly easy to keep track of most of those involved.
A large number of pictures, sketches, and maps further helped to provide detail into both the people and places described throughout.
A large number of pictures, sketches, and maps further helped to provide detail into both the people and places described throughout.
The authors appear to have done their research and do cite a large number of sources, including many first-hand accounts. Despite my initial discomfort with the writing style, I was pleasantly surprised at how the book kept my attention, turning out to be quite the page turner, even though I already knew how it would ultimately end. Even for those, like myself, who know the story, this book offers a different perspective and is worth a look.
Bottom line:
Would I read it again? Yes
Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes
Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes
